5 key factors that will decide 2015 Europa League final between Sevilla and Dnipro

Konoplyanka’s performance could prove key

Konoplayanka will be Dnipro’s most important player

Make no mistake, the display of Yevhen Konoplyanka in the second-biggest showpiece final in European club football will have a huge impact on exactly where the intricately-designed silver cup winds up. If the talented 25-year-old manages to involve himself in the game to greater effect than Sevilla would like, the Warriors of Light, as they’ve been called by their fans, might just cause an upset, against the run of play.

Indeed, Juande Ramos, who formerly managed both Sevilla and Dnipro, believes that Konoplyanka is the man to instigate the team into affirmative action more than most.

“Konoplyanka is the player who really stands out at Dnipro. He is very talented. He is an exciting player with a lot of quality. He is at a very high level and he is good enough to make the jump to one of Europe’s top clubs.”

A truly confident assertion indeed.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the left midfielder is good enough to breach a Sevilla defence that has kept four clean sheets in its last nine Europa League clashes, two of which arrived in their most high-stakes encounter of the season against Fiorentina.

Making the utmost out of any half-chances that come his way will be a pivotal factor in how everything pans out. Equally as important, though, will be his proficiency at creating more assists like the one he conjured for former Europa League winner Yevhen Seleznyov in their win against Napoli at home.

Blanquirrojas have superior firepower – can they put it to good effect?

Kevin Gameiro has shared the goalscoring responsibilities with Bacca

Simply put, the champions have the better artillery. Heading into war for a season-defining match, it’s difficult to ignore this glaring strength which they have at their disposal.

True, it’s Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Red Bull Salzburg’s Alan who lead the scoring charts with eight goals each, but the Spanish side have converted a remarkable tally of 26 goals in Europe already this season – that’s an average of 1.85 goals per game, a figure which looks even more impressive when contrasted with the uninspiring offensive record of Dnipro who have bagged a paltry 13.

As already highlighted, Konoplyanka is expected to be one of their main attacking outlets and yet domestically he has only scored seven times, while on the European front he has none and just three assists to his name. In fact, their top scorer on this front is Niko Kalinic who has a mere three goals to his name.

And while their opponents don’t exactly possess a striker who’s running away with the golden boot, that’s because they’ve spread the wealth a little more evenly across the board – Carlos Bacca has managed five, while Kevin Gameiro has recorded four.

So, expect a lot more exciting play to come from Sevilla as Denis Bokyo looks to be in for a busy evening between the posts.

La Liga outfit have the necessary experience

Having been here before, this is a real opportunity for Sevilla to prove their worth, and their mettle, once more. The body of this squad toiled and hustled all last season to earn a night of glory and relief, but it was also a bittersweet achievement because they were not afforded the added luxury of gaining automatic entry into the Champions League.

Hungrier than ever to make sure they don’t miss out on it once more, they have worked themselves into a frenzy to get to this position. Exuding confidence through their cool, passing approach that has seen them tear many a top-quality defence apart with ease, they have wasted very little energy getting back to where they belong.

Because while winning this competition once more will be a fantastic achievement in itself, the crowning glory (along with an added injection of cash) would be to return to the most elite club competition in modern-day football.

In Jose Antonio Reyes, Coke Andujar, Gameiro, Bacca, Stephane Mbia – all of whom were present as their side overcame Benfica in last season’s final – and Ever Banega, they have the necessary know-how and guile to make sure they get the job done against a stubborn, physical and resourceful opponent.